He took courses at MIT and apprenticed with prominent naval architects Starling Burgess and Bowdoin B. Crowninshield,[2] starting in 1902.

[1] In the winter of 1907, Alden undertook a voyage that would define his distinctive design trademark: The schooner Fame, owned by the Eastern Fishing company, had to be returned to Boston when her crew of 23 men had gone down with smallpox and there was no one left to sail her.

During the weeks that followed, they experienced extreme winter weather of up to 60 mile an hour winds that turned the salt spray to ice.

The approach Alden took was to discuss requirements with the clients, make the initial sketches and then hand over the work to the draftsmen to complete.

Over the next thirty years, Alden designed over 1,000 boats,[4] including the 63.5' schooner When and If for General Patton, though of them all the 744 Rena series have been considered the most admired.

Eric Hiscock, a leading yachtsman of the time, said "I considered her to be one of the most beautiful yachts I had ever seen…quite perfect in (her) sea-kindly grace and harmony".

Al Spalding became the firm's chief designer after World War II, and occupied the role for fifteen years.